Honey Roasted Chickpea and Avocado Salad

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas

3 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided (sub avocado oil)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

4 to 5 cups chopped romaine lettuce (sub lacinato kale if making ahead)

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup fresh, canned, or frozen/thawed corn

1 large (or 2 small) ripe avocados, cubed

1 cup feta cheese, cut into cubes (purchase a block of feta, as opposed to crumbled)

1/2 cup fresh torn basil leaves

2 Tbsp. tahini (such as Soom brand) (sub 3 Tbsp. plain full-fat Greek yogurt)

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. fresh chopped chives

1 clove finely grated garlic (sub 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic)

2 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. each kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place chickpeas in a colander and rinse well. Transfer to a clean, dry kitchen towel, and fold half the towel over the chickpeas. Gently rub the chickpeas to release any loose skins. (You don't have to remove all the skins; just any loose ones.) Once dry, transfer the chickpeas to a baking sheet and toss with 2 tsp. of the olive oil, and salt.

Bake the chickpeas for 40 minutes, shaking the pan every 15 minutes and watching closely towards the end to prevent burning. Meanwhile, prepare honey glaze by combining remaining 1 tsp. olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Remove the chickpeas from the oven and toss in honey glaze. Once well-coated, turn the oven OFF, return chickpeas to the oven with door slightly ajar, and let sit 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let chickpeas cool completely at room temperature. (This is when they turn crispy!)

Meanwhile, prepare Creamy Herb Dressing by combining tahini (or yogurt), olive oil, lemon juice, chives, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; stir to combine. Gradually whisk in 2 Tbsp. warm water (or more) to reach desired consistency.

Prepare salad by combining lettuce, tomatoes, corn, avocado, feta, and basil in a large bowl. Add half the chickpeas and half the dressing; toss to combine. Garnish with remaining chickpeas and drizzle remaining dressing over top. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1.5 cups
• Calories: 395 kcal
• Total Fat: 25 g
• Saturated Fat: 7 g
• Sodium: 980 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 35 g
• Dietary Fiber: 9 g
• Total Sugars: 9 g
• Protein: 13 g